* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of March 1, 2015.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of March 1, 2015

Jonathan Michael Paul Spector (born March 1, 1986) is an American soccer player who plays as a defender for Birmingham City. He started his professional career in England when he was signed by Manchester United as a teenager, but rarely appeared for the club. He played on loan at Charlton Athletic, then in 2006 joined West Ham United, where he played over 100 games before he was released at the end of the 2010–11 season.

Although he began playing as a striker during his youth career, Spector was converted into a defender as a professional. He most commonly plays as a right fullback but is capable of playing across the defensive line and in central midfield.

Spector's grandfather was the NBAbasketball player Art Spector, who was the first player to be signed by the Boston Celtics in 1946 and is known as the "Original Celtic".[5] He died in June 1987 when Jonathan was 15 months old.

Spector was discovered by a Manchester United scout while playing for the American Under-17 squad at the Milk Cup in 2003. Originally a striker, Spector was lined up in defense due to injuries for a game the scout had attended to scout other players. Impressed by Spector's defending, the scout alerted the club.[3][4]

Spector joined United in summer 2003.[4] He made his first appearance for the first team in the FA Community Shield match against Arsenal in August 2004.[6] In December, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson announced that Spector would be loaned out to fellow Premiership side Blackburn Rovers for the remainder of the season.[7] However, Ferguson was soon forced to postpone the deal due to an injury crisis in the United defense.[8] The injury crisis continued and Spector was not able to make his loan move before the transfer window closed on January 31, 2005. Before the start of the 2005–06 season, Spector went on a season-long loan to another Premiership club, Charlton Athletic, to obtain more first-team experience.[9] He finished the season with sixteen starts and eight substitute appearances.

Spector was signed, by manager Alan Pardew, for West Ham United in a deal initially worth £500,000 in June 2006, ending his association with Manchester United after eight appearances.[10] He made his debut for the club in the first round defeat of the UEFA Cup against Palermo in Sicily on September 28,[11] going on to make twenty-eight appearances in all competitions in the 2006–07 season.[12] Spector had initially been brought as backup to the West Ham defense, but he had an extended run of games due to injury problems and his ability to play anywhere in the back four with equal ease. On November 10, 2007, it was believed that Spector had scored his first professional goal, in the 5–0 away win at Derby County.[13] However, this was later credited as an own goal by Derby County's fellow American international Eddie Lewis.[2][14]

He missed most of the 2008–09 season due to injuries, but following the departure of Lucas Neill, Spector played in 27 of a possible 38 games in the 2009–10 season.[15] Many of his appearances that year came at left-back, despite being a right footed player. When Gianfranco Zola left, new manager Avram Grant began deploying Spector in the midfield. He scored his first goals for West Ham and first in English soccer, scoring twice in a 4–0 home win over former club Manchester United in the League Cup on November 30, 2010.[16] He scored his first Premier League goal in the 2–2 draw away to Everton later that season.[17] Spector was released by West Ham in June 2011.[18]

Spector signed a two-year contract with Championship club Birmingham City in August 2011, four days before the opening of the league season.[19] He made his debut playing in central midfield in Birmingham's first match in major European competition for nearly 50 years, the Europa League play-off round first leg against Portuguese club Nacional, which finished goalless.[20] Three days later, he played his first League game in English soccer at a level below the Premier League, in a 3–1 defeat at Middlesbrough.[21] Spector was initially played in central midfield for the first few months of his Birmingham City career, which did not appear to suit him very well. Once moved to the right back position he established himself as a solid and reliable member of the first team, until injury meant he missed the last few months of the season.[citation needed] He scored his first goal for Birmingham against Coventry City in a 3-2 defeat in the League Cup on August 28, 2012.[22] In June 2013, Spector agreed a further two-year contract with Birmingham City.[23]

In 2005, Spector was part of the U.S. Under-20 team at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands and as the 2005–06 Premier League season approached its conclusion, was considered a long shot to be included in the United States World Cup squad. However, a shoulder injury sustained on April 17 in a game against Portsmouth[24] ended his chances of playing at the World Cup.

Spector was a member of the U.S. team that beat Mexico 2–1 in the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final in Chicago in June 2007. However, during the final, he had to be substituted by Frankie Simek as he collided heads with Mexican midfielder Andrés Guardado. Immediately after the substitution Benny Feilhaber struck the winning volley.[25]

Following injuries to Steve Cherundolo and Frankie Hejduk, Spector was included in the United States roster for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and took the chance to cement his place in the national team, starting at right back for the entire tournament. He assisted Clint Dempsey to score a vital goal against Egypt in the last group stage match as the US scraped through to the semifinals on the basis of goals scored. In the final against Brazil, Spector once again assisted Dempsey in scoring the opening goal with a similar long cross from the right flank.

Having returned from a long injury lay-off, Spector was ever present at right back for the remaining 2010 World Cup fourth round qualifiers in 2009 although he has also been partnered with captain Carlos Bocanegra in central defense occasionally due to Oguchi Onyewu's long-term injury.[26] He was rested for the USA's last qualifying match against Costa Rica on October 14 as qualification had already been secured and was recalled for friendlies in November and March. Coach Bob Bradley included him in the final 23-man squad for the World Cup although he did not appear in any games. Later in 2010, Spector was a starting right back in friendlies against Brazil and Colombia.[27]

^ abAlthough Soccerbase and the statistics on Spector's West Ham profile give him two league goals for the club, his first West Ham "goal", against Derby County in November 2007, was credited as an own goal by the Dubious Goals Panel, so the figure of one league goal in total is correct.[2][30]